What If
by Enitsu Emria
Summary: Hermione, along with Harry and Ron are aurors. Hermione uncovers the secrets of an old french castle, which was a deatheater's lair before it was cleared. She meets an old..uhm...*aquaintance* and finds that he can be more than what she thinks.
1. The Old French Castle

What If  
  
Prologue:  
  
Draco Malfoy walked in to the Leaky Cauldron attracting much attention as usual. How could he not? He was one of the most powerful death eaters and probably ranked behind Voldemort himself. Everybody feared him, and yet no one, no one ever had the nerve to ever accuse him of such, fearing to have a punishment more dreadful than death.  
  
Clutching a silver locket in his pocket, he walked over to the bar.  
  
"Ahh, Master Malfoy now what can I do for you today?" asked Tom the innkeeper.  
  
"Funny, you should ask that. I would just like to question, if my father has come here recently…" he trailed off; said Draco with a serious lack of enthusiasm in his voice.  
  
"As a matter of fact, yes. He wanted me to tell you to meet him in the twenty third room when you get here."  
  
"Why, er…Thank You," Draco said, leaving the innkeeper bewildered.  
  
"Did Draco Malfoy just say 'Thank You?" he said to no one in particular.  
  
'I wonder why father would prefer to meet in a place like this, I thought Voldemort has said specifically to keep low profile' he thought as he approached room in the dark empty hallway. Draco took a deep breath before knocking on the door.  
  
"Draco, my son, come in." came Lucius Malfoy's lazy drawl.  
  
Draco leaned towards the door and twisted the knob of the room, sadistically let himself inside.  
  
"You wanted to see me father?" he said carelessly, not even bothering to look at Lucius.  
  
"Yes, I would like to make sure that the plan goes exactly as it was planned," said Lucius firmly.  
  
"Father we have been over this almost a thousand times, and besides—" as Draco spoke, he was cut off by a gust of pain that shot through his body; Lucius had taken his wand out and directed it to his son as mortified, Draco lay helpless on the floor. Apparently he had taken Draco's carelessness as an oversight done un to him.  
  
"I, am your father. And I will not be questioned! Do you understand me?!" boomed Lucius' voice through the room.  
  
"Y-yes," sputtered Draco in pain.  
  
"What did you say? Crucio!" said Lucius, clearly not contented.  
  
"Y-yes Father," Draco said as the pain worsened. All the agony had seemed to stop right after he had said it, yet all his power seemed to have been drained out of him even after the pain had stopped. Lucius directed his wand away from Draco and put it in his pocket.  
  
"I am only making sure my son. I had raised you, to take my place, in the circle of the dark lord. Which, will take his place in due time. Yet for now, I will not be seen as a failure in his eyes, and you will not, WILL NOT, be the reason of his downfall. Is that understood?"  
  
With out hesitation, Draco nodded his head and though draining almost all of the power he had left, he stood up matching the height of his father.  
  
"Now, the plans will succeed and you will make sure of that, won't you?"  
  
"Yes father, I will"  
  
"Excellent," was Lucius' last word. In seconds, he appeared out of sight, leaving Draco in the room, alone. Once again.  
  
~*~  
  
  
  
"Keep still will you!" screeched Hermione's voice as she spilled a purple liquid on the carpet due to Ron's constant poignant motion.  
  
"It damn hurts!" he said, still complaining like a little kid, looking at his bleeding shoulder and the oozing purple liquid.  
  
"Maybe if you kept still for a minute it would be 'much' easier," said Harry as his jolly head showed up in the doorway.  
  
"Oh Harry, would you mind knocking some sense in to Ron?" said Hermione sarcastically as she received a glare from Ron.  
  
"Oh that's very much easy for you to say, you didn't get pummeled by a bungling deatheater!"  
  
"Why the hell did you still have to take on Goyle when he's thrice your size?" said Harry as he came closer to the two.  
  
"The bloody git needed a lesson," said Ron triumphantly.  
  
"I'm sure he did, now KEEP STILL!" screamed Hermione once again as she dabbed a piece of cloth on Ron's wound on his right shoulder, which he had gotten by being sat on by Goyle as he performed the Crutacious curse on him. They were at a raid in the Le fou Mimeux castle in Paris, where they believed the deatheaters were hiding. Although they caught many known deatheaters, the dark lord, as well as his right hand man Draco Malfoy was now where to be seen, Voldemort was most likely teleported they thought, and Draco Malfoy was probably with him.  
  
"What an idiot" Hermione wanted to say at the time, "A deatheater trained with dark curses which only secret weapon is his weight," Hermione thought with a smirk.  
  
"Your remembering how it happened again aren't you?" said Ron suspiciously as he eyed Hermione, noticing her grin (spread widely along her face.).  
  
"As a matter of fact I am,"  
  
"Well stop already, and don't even think of spreading this at the ministry." Ron said firmly.  
  
"Oh, I won't. Now get your robes on it's done."  
  
"Um…thanks Mione," said Ron putting on a puppy dog face.  
  
"Yeah, yeah your welcome, just fix your face you look horrible," she said half smiling as she left the room, leaving Ron behind his mouth hanging open as if he still wanted to say something.  
  
~~*  
  
Draco was standing in front of the castle of Le fou Mimeux, where he had heard that many of the deatheaters were captured by the aurors. Potter. He thought with lust, as if he would want to kill Harry right then and there. Of course he wasn't there to get caught with the lot, because then, he was with his father, and although he was being cursed at that time, for the first time; he was thankful for it.  
  
He stepped towards the gate and pushed it open angrily, colliding with a great oak at the side of the entrance. Leaves fell down consecutively as Draco strode towards the castle; his black cape flying in the wind. He reached the door of the castle and pushed the large handle forward. Letting himself in, without even closing the door behind him, he surveyed the main hall. It was the same, still the same old dusty castle, built to suit the taste of a typical deatheater. The fireplace was dull, without a flame and with nothing but ashes. The large picture of Salazar Slytherin above it was dusty also, but seemed to have never lost the expression of lust in its eyes. And what he heard was unchanged as well; silence. Total silence.  
  
Then he looked at the staircase leading up to the second floor. He took no hesitation to go up further in to the castle. He found the room in the north wing, the room he was sleeping in when he visited the castle with his father. Twisting the brass lock he pushed the door open, revealing a pleasing sight. This, in Draco's opinion was the only room in the castle which was worth living in, for it was the cleanest and most attractive. It was furnished with the finest furniture and was decorated with a silver theme.  
  
Draco went over to his four poster bed and pulled the satin curtains open, laying down on the soft cushion without even bothering to take off his black leather boots. He closed his eyes, and for as moment was a look of serenity on his face. 'For a moment' because after that was an evil smirk. 'How moronic Potter had been for not having found this room' he thought. He placed his hand on the bed to get up but then felt something unlike the texture of his sheet. It was something smooth and silky. Draco opened his eyes and sat up at the same time to see what he was feeling. He saw it to be a silvery cloak. 'An invisibility cloak', he thought as he recognized it. Who's was it, he hadn't remembered ever bringing one there for he never needed it, as he could always apparate; and though he had an invisibility cloak, it was in the Malfoy Manor…hidden. He finally wondered if anyone had entered his room, an auror perhaps? No never, if ever an auror would find his room, he would definitely mess it up, thinking to find some top secret files or things that would help in the downfall of the Dark Lord. But no, it was in perfect condition when he had found it. Then who?  
  
~~*  
  
Hermione stood at the gates of the castle, sighing with little relief. Thanking that Harry and Ron had finally let her on her own, though they were insistent of accompanying her just to find her invisibility cloak, which she had been sure that she had left in one of the rooms. One in particular, which she could not bear to destroy, one which had been furnished so differently from the others. A room that probably belonged to someone who had a peaceful personality. Ah heck, what was she thinking? All people that have ever lived there were deatheaters, with no heart at all, and did not hesitate to kill.  
  
Hermione let go of her thoughts and entered the gates. They were open, and she wondered why, had anyone been there? She thought. No, it was impossible. She walked towards the main door which was open as well. Now her suspicions were stronger than ever, and if there was anyone, she would be sure to find who ever it was, because she was a trained auror and ready to strike at any time.  
  
She walked towards the staircase and started to climb it. She kept a firm grip of her wand in her pocket as she took every step. At the top of the stairs, she turned towards the north wing towards the room where she had left her cloak and walked in its direction.  
  
~~*  
  
Draco looked at the cloak and examined it once more. Suddenly he heard footsteps echoing in the hallway right outside his room. He put on the cloak quickly and went to the back of the door awaiting whoever had intruded in the castle. Keeping his position as the lock twisted open and let in a brown haired figure.  
  
~~*  
  
Hermione looked around the room as she tried to remember where she had put her cloak. Suddenly she felt herself being pushed over and pinned to the bed by something. She was now being held down on the bed by something she didn't know.  
  
"Who are you? LET GO OF ME NOW!" she screeched. Surprisingly the force on her was lighter and gentler.  
  
"Mudblood," came the reply. Now something was clear to Hermione, as the force on her disappeared. She recognized the oily voice of the person.  
  
"Malfoy, what the hell do you think your doing?" she said. Draco pulled the cloak off him and threw it on the bed where Hermione was laying.  
  
"I have the right to do anything I wish, and I have more right to be here than you will ever have mudblood" he said.  
  
"Why are you here?" she asked, her voice trembling.  
  
"What? Can't speak straight mudblood?" Draco said as he slid in to the bed next to Hermione looking at her face, full of disgust and lust, hidden by innocence. "Come on, you think I don't know you're an auror? Why don't you take me on right now and turn me over to the ministry?"  
  
Hermione pushed herself towards the edge of the bed, away from Malfoy. "Maybe I will, get away from me!" she exclaimed as she stood up and rushed for the door. As she was ready to turn the knob, Malfoy stood tall in front of her blocking her way.  
  
"What do you want from me Malfoy? Just let me leave, I won't give you to them. I won't tell them where you are. Just let me GO!"  
  
"You came here for your cloak, now aren't you going to get it, It's on the bed right there" he said pointing to the bed. Hermione walked slowly towards the bed and grabbed her cloak.  
  
"Now mudblood," said Draco as Hermione hugged the cloak to her chest. "How can I be so sure that you will not tell on me? Oh and even it you tell them, I will be long gone from here when you get one word out of your mouth," he said evilly with that malevolent smirk to match.  
  
"I will not… tell them. I promise. Now please let me go Malfoy." she pleaded not letting him out of her sight, incase he might try something.  
  
"I'll let you go Mudblood. In time." He said approaching her scaring her more. Hermione backed up stepping to the back with each step he took towards her.  
  
"W-what do you mean?" she said fear in her eyes still backing up and without her noticing, she was moving back towards the balcony, towards a painful death.  
  
"I give meaning to every word I say, now be careful or you might—" he was cut off by Hermione's screech. She had not noticed that she was walking towards a balcony, and was now hanging on for dear life. She had her hand holding the bricks of the terrace. Suddenly, like the wind was Malfoy holding her back and her hand struggling to pull her up.  
  
"Be careful, If you fall I promise you that it will not be a piece of cake,"  
  
Hermione glanced below her. There were bamboo poles cut to the end and sticking out from the ground. One was inches from her foot and if she were to fall she would be skewered and would surely die.  
  
"Hang on Mudblood," said Malfoy as he felt to be loosing grip. Hemrione felt that she was going to fall, but suddenly as Malfoy got hold of her once more she tightened grip on his hand. She looked down at her leg, it had been stinging as if it had been scratched on something hard. It was, it was scratched by the sharp end of one of the poles and was now dripping blood.  
  
"Just drop me if you plan on calling me that for the next hour if you save me." she said behind his words, surprised; feeling that she was getting pulled up. Malfoy then pulled on her hand and brought her up to the balcony. There was a loud thud as their bodies fell on to the cold floor of the balcony.  
  
"I saved you, and I'm not sure if I could stop doing that" he said as he let her on her feet. Hermione suddenly collapsed in pain as her leg bled further. Draco sat down beside her and reached to reveal the injury. He saw her bleeding leg and took something out of his pocket. It was a handkerchief. He put it on her leg to stop the bleeding. She flinched slightly at his actions.  
  
"Hold it there," he said as he stood to carry her up. He lay her on his bed as she started to relax. Malfoy went over to the fireplace and whispered the spell "Lacardum Inflamore" and he dropped powder in the blazing hearth.  
  
"Mother, are you there?" said Draco.  
  
In seconds, Narcissa Malfoy's head appeared in the flames.  
  
"What is it my son?" she said in a soothing voice.  
  
"I need a nursing house-elf now, Mother send one now."  
  
"I'm sorry dearest, but I'm in your father's study, the nursing house elves are treating Vincent in the hospital room. I'll be able to get there though, is it bad?"  
  
"Not that bad mother, hurry up." Hermione was amazed at Draco. How could he talk like that to his own mother? It was totally out of respect.  
  
Momentarily, Narcissa Malfoy showed up in the room right beside Draco's bed.  
  
Draco looked at her with an expression of thanking her, but it seemed that he could not get any words out of his mouth.  
  
"Now you can thank me later," said Mrs. Malfoy she examined Hermione's injury. Hermione groaned in pain.  
  
"I may not be a house witch, but this should be nothing." Declared Mrs. Malfoy as she reached in to the bag that she had brought. It was a bottle of the purple liquid that Hermione recognized of what she had used to clean Ron's injury the night before. Mrs. Malfoy dabbed a little on the handkerchief that Draco had given to her and rubbed it lightly on her injury.  
  
"Now, isn't that better?" she asked Hermione.  
  
"Much, thank you," she replied in gratitude. Narcissa Malfoy turned to her son.  
  
"Draco, what are you doing here? You know how aurors are; tend not to be contented at the first raid. You might get captured," she said. Hemrione could feel Draco's eyes on her at what his mother had said. She quickly looked at him.  
  
"I was just checking on my room mother, to see if they had taken anything," he said redirecting his glance to Mrs. Malfoy.  
  
"Oh now, you haven't introduced me to your friend Draco," said Narcissa looking at Hermione at the same time.  
  
"She is Ms. Hermione Granger. Hermione, this is my mother Mrs. Narcissa Malfoy." Said Draco. Hemrione was quite surprised at his cordial introduction and smiled a bit.  
  
"It's a pleasure," she said to Mrs. Malfoy.  
  
"I'm very sure dear, now, I must insist that we go back to the manor, it is not good for you to stay here, considering your injury." Hermione nodded and forced herself up.  
  
"No dear, Draco will be glad to carry you," said Mrs. Malfoy with a look to her son.  
  
"Of course," Draco said in hesitant voice. He motioned over to Hermione and put his hand to her back as Narcissa Malfoy poured Floo powder in to the fire.  
  
"Hell," he whispered, soft enough but still audible by Hermione.  
  
"You could have just let me die you know," she said back to him.  
  
"It wouldn't be damn right,"  
  
"What is?" she asked.  
  
"…"  
  
"Are you two coming or not?" said an impatient Mrs. Malfoy waiting at the fire. Draco shrugged silently and motioned towards the fire.  
  
"Now you go first, hurry now."  
  
"Malfoy Manor," said Draco with Hermione in his arms.  
  
Hermione felt like the world was spinning for a moment, and with her eyed closed she couldn't tell where they were. When the dizzy sensation in her head stopped she flickered her eyes open and found herself in a cozy room still in Draco's arms.  
  
"I'm getting tired, mind if I put you down?" he said in a soft voice.  
  
"Sure," she said, as she was being laid down on a red couch. At the same time, Mrs Malfoy showed up in the fireplace.  
  
"Oh, I'm filthy. I have better get to the bathing chambers. Draco, if Hermione plans to stay show her to the seventeenth guest room, I'm sure its clear at these moments." said Mrs. Malfoy, she smiled at the two and exited the room. Once she was out of site, Draco broke the silence.  
  
"So, if you want to go back to your friends when that heals just get some floo powder by any fireplace in this house, there's always some atop any." Draco said carelessly. Hermione looked at him with a puzzled expression on her face.  
  
"How could your mother let me stay here? I mean, I'm an auror and a danger to you."  
  
"Oh, she knows that. She just can tell that you are someone that can be trusted," he said twirling his wand blithely.  
  
"If you knew I could be trusted in the first place, why dint you let me go?"  
  
"I tried to say I was damn kidding but you had to fall off the balcony."  
  
"It wasn't my fault, you scared me"  
  
"And should you have been scared? I thought you're a fearless auror," said Malfoy slightly mocking Hermione, who could no longer hid her temper and attempted to strike Malfoy right there. She stood from the couch but immediately lost her balance. Before she knew it, she was hurrying to meet the ground. Hermione closed her eyes preparing for the worse. Right before she was sure to hit the ground, she felt strong arms around her waist and although she did not like it, she opened her eyes and met stormy gray ones, Malfoy had caught her. And saved her…for the second time.  
  
"Do you really want to die?" he asked her in a soft voice. She didn't say anything but let him carry her in his arms again. He started to carry her out the door.  
  
"Where are you taking me?" she asked as they were in the halls.  
  
"To a room, you have to change your robes. Their soaked in blood if you didn't notice."  
  
"By my self?" she said.  
  
"Of course not, I'll send a house elf there, I'm sure mother always stores robes in there," said Draco not even bothering to look at her as he spoke.  
  
Hermione just looked at him in silence as he took her up the enormous stairs leading up to the third floor then they started walking in a large hallway, which was getting darker by the second.  
  
"Where are we?" asked Hermione as it got darker and Draco stopped walking.  
  
"Le Çiean wing," came his response as Hemrione felt that he was grabbing something out of his pocket.  
  
"Lumos," she whispered illuminating the way. They were in front of a great door. Hermione surveyed it further but could not find any knob or lock that might open it. "How do we open this?"  
  
"Can you stand?" he asked.  
  
"As long as you hold me, and not worry about getting mudblood filth on you," she said as Draco let her down and she held his shoulder for support.  
  
Draco then got out something that he was holding from his pocket. It was a round silver pendant swinging from a silver chain as Hermione could see it.  
  
"What is that?" she asked curious.  
  
"Just watch," said Draco as he positioned the pendant on the side of the door. Hemrione could see now that it fit perfectly in a space on the door. Draco then pushed the pendant in and twisted it, until the door forced open and reveled a splendid sight. A room, delicately decorated in silver and black, with beautifully furnished furniture shinning silver. Hermione was amazed, even the four-poster bed was beautiful. Inviting, as it may seem.  
  
"Are you sure this is a guest room? It looks like your manor's finest—"  
  
"Its' not, my mother forbids entry of this room actually and that's why I kept you here." Said Draco carelessly as he walked towards the bed to let Hermione down on it.  
  
"And why would you keep me in a forbidden place, no less this," Hermione looked around the grandly decorated room. "Such a beautiful one. And if you plan to seclude me, why didn't you keep me in the dungeons?" Hermione asked suspiciously, suspiciously eyeing Draco Malfoy.  
  
"Granger, Granger, I keep you here, not as a prisoner, but as a guest. I have faulted you, and I am merely making it up."  
  
"Making it up? Since when do you make up to a mudblood?"  
  
"Don't test my patience Hermione, and stop being so inquisitive Granger I already know that you're a know-it-all." He said standing up to leave. "I'll send the nursing elf up, rest yourself as you wait."  
  
"Fine," she said, slightly annoyed. Draco went out the door and closed it behind him. What mess had Hemrione gotten herself in this time?  
  
A/n: Ohh, that really let out some heat. I'm really so enthusiastic about writing but I cant put all my ideas in to 'Eternal Promise' all at once oh well, I hope you like how this is picking up, There will be another chapter and expect slashy themes. Ron and Herm, and Draco's child. Mwahahahahahahahahaha. Ohhhhh that was good. 


	2. Silhouette Romance

Discalimer: All characters in this story are NOT MINE, GOT IT? They belong to the great and wonderful goddess JK Rowling… So DON'T SUE because I'm a damn teenage for God sake.  
  
What If2  
  
Hermione looked around the room she was in and stopped to admire its beauty and elegance… It was beautiful for sure. Maybe it could compare to Draco's own… He said that his mother forbids entry of this room she thought. Why? Such and elegant place secluded; there must be some reason.  
  
"Get in there!" said an exasperated voice though the door, which Hermione easily recognized as Draco's. Within seconds a house elf jumped through the door with such great force as if there was someone kicking him in… there was; who else, but Draco.  
  
"Ooof! Yes sir… I will be bringing it in now"  
  
"Hurry!" said Draco, appearing in the doorway himself. Hermione looked at him with utter distaste. How dare he treat a house elf in such a way (hehe typical Hermione). No wonder Dobby had been so miserable with the Malfoys.  
  
"Stop! Don't you treat him like that… like he's just something you could do without, like he had no life" she said at once.  
  
"Why… do you have the right to say that Granger? Here in my house? Think you could implement your spit ways on me?" Retorted Draco grabbing the case with the potion bottles from the house elf. He deposited them on the bed, beside her; sitting himself at the edge of the bed.  
  
"For you information 'Lord Draco', its spew— no, S-P-E-W. And you shouldn't really be treating him in such cruelty… it's brutal!" she told him, almost edging off the bed.  
  
Draco slowly approached her, captivating her with his every word. Though for her his words were insulting. For a moment, he noticed that his sinister smile, arrogant manner of speaking caused quite a stir to her… She thought… for a moment that he was… charming. What must she be thinking? This was Malfoy here, the person who made her times at Hogwarts miserable. She couldn't possibly feel anything for him now.  
  
"Yes, I know…" he said confusing her "don't you just love the feel of it?"  
  
Suddenly she understood; of course after all he was a know deatheater… It might have been pleasurable for him to see the little house elf suffer. Who knows? It might have been a hobby of his when he was younger… torturing the house elves.  
  
"How could I forget? You find pleasure in pain. Not a surprise you know—" she trailed off. It had only been now that she had noticed… but as she was jabbering; he had attained closing the distance between them. He was only a few inches away from her.  
  
He looked her deep in the eye and said in a husky voice:  
  
"Quite finished…Ms. Granger?" She jolted and returned his gaze. He had never been that formal to her, it began playing in her mind that this was just another of his tactics… his mind games. Although such negative things flowed through her brain she found herself replying:  
  
"Yes… If that how you want it."  
  
"Now if you would what to get out of this hell hole fast, I suggest you let yourself get treated immediately…" he trailed off; getting on his feet and off the bed.  
  
"Blinky!" he snapped at the elf. She could see the elf's fear as he heard Draco's drawl. "Make sure Ms. Granger here…(motioning his had to Hermione) gets treated of her wounds thoroughly" he said. Hermione looked at him once again and could see the respect that he attracted with was in his eyes. Must be from his father… Lucius. She shuddered at the thought of the name; what would he think of Hermione living in his manor? She turned her attention back to Draco.  
  
He turned to the elf. "Any mishap, and you will do extra punishment I'm sure…"  
  
"Y-yes s-sir" the little creature quivered while Draco stood high above him. The elf bowed his head as Draco started to leave. Hermione was getting more comfortable as Draco started to walk out the door, but then he turned back on his heel and faced her once again.  
  
"Hermione…" he started. She was shocked at the sweet mention of her name. "I would… I mean mother would deeply appreciate it if…" Hermione was getting uncomfortable of his crooked way of talking; he was usually so straight. "if you were to show up at dinner. I'm sure you should be quite able to walk by then…(he eyed Blinky venomously, the little elf gulped)… and…and dress yourself up, I'm sure there are a few robes in the closet."  
  
"Sure…" she said without thinking. Then Draco headed out the door and shrugged audibly. Hermione looked after his dark shadow and never took her eyes off it until the door closed shut. Then was the only time that she could breathe normally.  
  
"I could clean Miss's wound now?" asked the timid elf whom she almost forgot was there.  
  
"Oh… Yes" she said absentmindedly as she tugged the blue satin sheets off her leg revealing the slightly healed wound which Mrs. Malfoy had temporarily treated earlier. The house elf got the bag which Draco had laid on the bed and took the same purple colored healing potion and applied it to Hermione's wound. She watched as the elf worked.  
  
"You must be really experienced to be able to be sent up here by Malfoy" she said. A light purple blush evident on the little creature's cheeks caught her gaze.  
  
"Not as you think Miss, Master thinks it me is the only elf who will be able to be working," he said. Hermione could see with a look in the little elf's eye that he was not quite finished with what he wanted to say. "Miss has like for Master?" Hermione was surprised at what the elf had to say. She answered in an abrupt manner that made her cheeks blush a deep shade scarlet which would have made Ron a disgraceful Weasley Oh my God…RON! She immediately thought Ron and Harry. They might have been looking for her at this moment. She tried to stand up immediately almost unaware that she was still being treated.  
  
"Wait miss, its not yet finished" said the elf.  
  
"I'm sorry but please, I need to write to my friends … oh Harry, Ron," she said while waiting anxiously for the elf to finish.  
  
"All done miss," said the elf. Hermione thanked the elf quickly and as she gratified him, she attempted to walk and with little effort to bear the pain stinging in her ankle the said that Blinky had done a perfectly good job. She thanked the elf again and dismissed him. She was almost hyperactive to be able to walk on her own again, she could not think of how she would freak it she would be carried by Draco once again. It was uncomfortable being carried by her worse enemy and another reason was the unpleasurable jolts her heart gave when she was ever that close to him.  
  
She decided to look around a bit; although she was in slight agony she looked in to a door next to the closet, which was the bathroom. She was shocked yet again. Never had she seen such a luxurious bath even the head bathroom in Hogwarts would look dull in comparison to this. No wonder Draco Malfoy was never contented with Hogwarts facilities. She explored it further; there was a marble bath right in the floor, which looked as big that it could be a swimming pool. There were several taps by its gutter and she knelt down to try putting on one. The orange foaming bubbles that came out of it impressed her. Another tap and pink bubbles formed. She put on the water tap and filled the tub with warm water. This was when she thought it was a good time to bathe. She removed her tattered robes and threw it aside on the side of the tub. She kicked off her jeans and a pink shirt she had worn underneath her robes and let herself sink in to the warm inviting bath. The bubbles instantly foamed around her and she sank in deeper in to the bath. She instantly found her eyelids heavy and drifted off in to a deep slumber.  
  
~~*  
  
The foggy atmosphere must have been the one that awoken Hermione from her sleep. She looked around and figured it must have been the warm water from her bath. She was still tired at though of resting her eyes again. When she opened them, she could see the silhouette of a person approaching her and coming towards her. Hermione saw it clearer and clearer as he approached, who exactly he was. Draco.  
  
Hermione shivered in his presence.  
  
"Draco…" she said uncertainly. She could see that he was not warring anything and her quickly slipped in to the bathe with her. He approached her and reached out for her face. When he got hold of her chin he lead it towards his and they shared a deep mysterious kiss.  
  
~~*  
  
Hermione instantly jolted awake. She had been having a dream and was utterly shocked about it. What the hell was she doing having erotic fantasies about Malfoy? She was still in the bathtub and she figured she might have dozed off. She immediately stood up and grabbed the towel by the side of the bath and wrapped it around her body. She wiped herself dry and rushed back in to the bedroom. A glance at the grandfather clock seemed to add to the pressure more… It was five o clock.  
  
"Oh cursed mind," she whispered to no one in particular. Hermione opened the closet and found beautiful robes in it. There were even matching accessories in it for every robe. She chose a scarlet dress robe with a long cape draped over the back of the dress robe to wear over a white bustier that she had found in the depths of the closet. She instantly wondered who could have used French Underwear in the Malfoy family and picture Mrs. Malfoy in it; Hermione gave a small giggle. She looked herself in the mirror and prepared herself to walk in to a fantasy. She didn't know why she followed Malfoy's orders like she was a dog happy to follow his orders but she saw no harm in it… and unlike her rational and well planned usual self, she seemed amused by her sense of rebellion for once. It had only been now she had realized why Harry & Ron were so fond of it. Somehow, her erotic fantasy knocked some sense in to her (not so common, common sense).  
  
~~*  
  
"Where the hell could she be?" complained Ron as Hermione had not been back ever since the morning before.  
  
"Sure she'll turn up, our Hermione is not about to be careless" said Harry not knowing how careless her actions were at this moment.  
  
"We should go to that castle… deatheaters might have gotten hold of her. Stupid gits" insisted Ron.  
  
"I'm telling you, she will turn up… must have run in to Parvati and Lavander somewhere and they decided to kick it."  
  
"Ok but if she's not here by nightfall we're going to that castle"  
  
~~*  
  
A knock was heard at Hermione's door at precisely six o clock. Hermione fastened her scarlet dress robe and patted her hair down for the last time. She looked at herself on the mirror for the last time and concluded that she looked fit enough for this one Malfoy dinner. The knocking got stronger and Hermione was sure that it was Malfoy who was knocking at the door because of its roughness. She was surprised that he didn't shout his way in to her room. Hermione breathed for the last time and headed to open the door.  
  
Draco's features softened as he saw Hermione. His body went rigid as he attempted to bow and take her hand. This made her giggle a bit. He took a moment to admire his excellent choice of clothes. A black robe draped over his elegant dark green dress robe. This must be really shocking for him. Hermione gave him her delicate right hand and he looked at her face visibly still shocked by her appearance. Hermione felt Draco's cold lips on her skin. It almost made her shiver.  
  
"I have to say Granger…" he stopped as he stood up to tower over her once more. "You have clearly outdone yourself."  
  
Hermione looked at him perplexed. This was getting too weird for her.  
  
"Why thank you Malfoy… you couldn't have been nicer" she said through clenched teeth. They were at the corridor now and closing towards the grand stairway.  
  
"Is that supposed to be a complement," said Draco looking straight ahead, his arm was itching to take Hermione's. For what reason – He did not know.  
  
As they approached the stairway, she noticed that the railings were decorated with green and white drapes swirling consecutively around the marble rails with bouquets of gardenias (a/n: Do those grown in Europe?) meeting at the end. There was a green carpet on the stairs and Hermione could see that this was not just a dinner, but a ball.  
  
"Draco…" said Hermione as he turned to look at her. "I thought you said we would attend a dinner; not a ball.  
  
Draco had his eyebrow raised along with his best looking smirk. "This is how dinner's are done around here," he said without hesitation. "If we would do what you'd expected – a grand meal perhaps- we would rather call that a snack."  
  
Hermione could not reply to this. Instead she kept her mouth shut and walked down the stairway towards the ballroom. Even when they were at the height of the stairs; people already glanced at them and the crowd grew silent as Draco walked down the stairs with his unknown partner. Hermione was gripping his arm now, she thought that it would be the right thing to do when everybody was staring at them.  
  
When they were at the last step, the crowd parted and opened a path to a long table where Hermione could clearly see Narcissa Malfoy smiling at them in her dark green and silver themed dress robe. As they walked through the large hall, Hermione could fell all eyes on her and she wondered if any of these people recognized her. That she was one of the aurors who is Harry Potter's sidekicks. She felt like an angel in a flock of devils. Hermione's was holding the train of her dress robe and she shifted it to the other hand as Draco put his arm to her back pulling her close to him. Hermione had a pitiful look on her face but she thought it not advisable to bow so they would not see her face- it would not be very lady like. She decided to hold her chin high and proud.  
  
"Ladies and Lords… My son, Draco Malfoy." Said Mrs. Malfoy in a lovely tone of voice, which filled the silent hall.  
  
Clapping followed her announcement as Draco and Hermione sat down on the long table beside Mrs. Malfoy. The hall began to be filled with voices and the classical haunting music was given the signal to play once more.  
  
Mrs. Malfoy looked at the nervous Hermione looking at her laced fingers on her lap.  
  
"Don't worry my child… no one will think bad of you. Now come on, eat up there's many food. Then enjoy the night, it will be, as you say; a blast," she said encouraging her.  
  
Hermione looked up at the older woman and sent her a heavenly smile.  
  
"Of course Mrs. Malfoy," she said sweetly.  
  
"Good. That's that but Hermia… I would really appreciate it if you would share a dance with Draco,"  
  
At that; Draco choked on the steak that was currently finding its way down his throat. He began coughing violently with tears welling up to his eyes. Hermione immediately patted his back strongly with force.  
  
"*cough* *cough* WHAT did y-you *cough* j-just say mother?" he said as he started to regain composure looking, horrified at Mrs. Malfoy. With her hand still on Draco's back she looked at Mrs. Malfoy with terror as well.  
  
"I was merely suggesting that you and young Hermione would share a dance later on… You know, cause a bit of a stir here in the palace. Remember Draco you are an promising ballroom dancer."  
  
"Mother, I don't think so, and besides I don't think that this would be a lovely time to show off…" he trailed off. He noticed that Mrs. Parkinson and Pansy were approaching the grand table. He quickly sized Hermione's hand and led her to the dance floor.  
  
"If you don't what an old fiend to see you here we better split this scene," he whispered to her. Hermione saw Pansy and her mother approaching as well and did not hesitate to leave with Draco.  
  
"Why, didn't you want to greet your girlfriend with a little kiss?" teased Hermione as Draco led her through the crowd.  
  
He glared at her evilly before retorting.  
  
"She, is NOT, I repeat NOT my girlfriend. And besides… I think of her as a slut the same way you do, so don't ever think she will be the woman for me"  
  
"What if she sees me?" Hermione said.  
  
"She won't… now that's why I brought you away from there. Consider this as a favor Hermione, because someday you will pay." He said to her. She shivered at his words and took a look at his gray stormy eyes. He was smiling at her.  
  
"Don't worry, I will return your favor as soon as I can."  
  
"You better, I even wanted to hear what Mrs. Parkinson had to say… I'm sure that she's gonna bug my mother again about marrying Pansy. Eck!" he said with utter disgust.  
  
"Why didn't you bring your invisibility cloak then?" said Hermione.  
  
It dawned on Draco. "Oh shit! Why didn't I think of that?"  
  
"Because you're a stupid git…" she said carelessly.  
  
"Yeah… maybe your right Hermione, its handy to have a smart bitch around sometimes." He said smirking. Hermione turned red at his words and was ready to strike him at any minute.  
  
"Accio Invisibility cloak!" he said directing his wand to the stairway, and in seconds it came swooping down like a broom towards them. If passed so fast through the crowd that people did not realize it pass. Draco caught the silky cloak with catlike grace and looked at Hermione with a smirk.  
  
"What? Is there something on my face?" she said. Before she knew it; Draco had pulled her to his side and dragged her to the corner of the ballroom.  
  
"What the hell has gotten in to you Malfoy?" she complained.  
  
"I can't keep my eyes off you because if someone discovers you're an auror; you'll be roasted on open fire," he flung the cloak over their heads and in an instant they were both unseen. Hermione was feeling very uncomfortable because not only did she have to compress herself in order not to be revealed, but she also had to take her jumping heart all the way because of the close contact she and Malfoy were in.  
  
"Now lets go, and be careful not to run in to someone," he warned her.  
  
Draco held Hermione by the waist and kept her close to him so that the cloak could conceal them both and they started to move towards the grand table.  
  
"Pansy looks kind of fat…" Hermione whispered mischievously.  
  
"Doesn't matter, she's a bitch and I couldn't care less." Said Draco coldly as they were approaching the table. Draco silently sat down on the chair next to Pansy with Hermione on his lap. He did not seem to care that she was sitting on him, all he wanted to do at the moment was listen to the conversation of his mother and Mrs. Parkinson.  
  
"Narcissa… we should really consider the marriage to go through as soon as possible. I know Lucius agrees with me… don't you.'' Said the plump woman who was Mrs. Parkinson.  
  
Mrs. Malfoy sipped at her wine moderately and looked at her.  
  
"I have never meddled in my son's love affairs and I honestly don't believe I could control his heart…if he chooses to fall for young Pansy here; it will be fine for me, as long as he's happy." Mrs. Malfoy said vigilantly.  
  
"Go mum!" Draco whispered childishly. Hermione giggled slightly at him.  
  
"Narcissa, your husband has agreed on this and we will arrange this wedding weather you like it or not."  
  
Draco could see that Pansy was squirming in her seat, he had the sudden urge to flip her chair so that he big fat ass would fall smack dab on the floor. And if only Hermione were not sitting on him he would have done it.  
  
"Relax," she said.  
  
"I'd rather fuckin die before marrying that bitch… what the hell is stopping me?"  
  
"I'm gonna stop you, now relax and let me do it." Said Hermione. Draco was surprised at her words but immediately let her do what ever she was planning. Hermione grabbed Pansy's blonde braid then pulled one leg of the chair underneath her as she squealed violently, making her fall on the floor.  
  
"Hah!" Draco laughed at Hermione's actions as Mrs. Parkinson was helping her daughter up.  
  
"Let's get away from here before you laugh your hear off and we get roasted on open fire," whispered Hermione to Draco keeping on their toes and leading away from the grand table.  
  
Draco and Hermione went towards the study as the ball was going on and Hermione took the invisibility cloak off as she dropped in to a green loveseat, when he sat on a green couch right across her.  
  
"Hahahaha! Did you see the look on that pug's face? She looked like shit!" exclaimed Draco laughing with Hermione sharing his amusement.  
  
"And her mother panicking like hell, that was so funny. I wonder if they'll still have the nerve to come back…" said Hermione.  
  
Draco stopped laughing and took a moment to look at Hermione. She didn't look half bad, he thought. He hair was delevished from their little adventure but yet she did not seem to loose the glow within her. There always seemed to be a light always around her, she was an angel in what must be hell for her. And yet for the first time he saw something that he never saw before… or never noticed; beauty. Of course maybe she was always beautiful but yet he always saw past that; always thinking that muggleborns were never beautiful. If only she weren't a mudblood… He kicked himself mentally, what was he thinking? Hermione could never be the woman for him… yet, then he realized that she had been the only woman who had mad him laugh in a long time, he wondered if she would agree to a truce.  
  
Hermione seemed to notice that he was staring at her so she bowed her head to hide her blush. She always admitted that he was a very good-looking man. What woman in her right mind would not come to notice his platinum mane luminous almost even in the dark, his silver-blue eyes, and his pale completion which was so flawless, you would think he never saw the sun… like a vampire. She wondered why he was acting so civil towards her, perhaps it was because she was not with Harry now, maybe because he did not have that much hate for her as much as his hate for Harry. Maybe he had something else for her… She stopped her thoughts at that moment, he could never have love for her, and they had been enemies' since forever, he could not possibly change his mind about her. But she wondered if he would consider a friendship… or if not a mere acquaintance because she knew that they were never formally introduced, they only acknowledged each other with the insults they threw at each other through the years, and even though she was headgirl and he a prefect while they were at Hogwarts; when they had really got on each others nerve, they would not hesitate to make a public scene even if the other students could see them thinking that they were a bad influence. Hermione mostly went to Harry after these little fights, crying her eyes out on his chest while they were sitting in front of the hearth of the head quarter's common room. It was kind of ironic, Harry and Hermione the headboy and girl at that time were in an almost perfect relationship but then an incident drew them apart. It was like impossible that they still managed to become friends after that but never jumped in to a relationship ever. Hermione was still hurt of course but here she was thinking about Draco Malfoy in a way no one ever could imagine and she was willing to propose a friendship… (a/n:Heheheh)  
  
"Listen…" they both said simultaneously. They looked at each other in surprise and then spoke in chorus again.  
  
"You go first…" Draco seemed annoyed and spoke before Hermione could get the chance to.  
  
"Ladies first, go ahead," he said. A drop of sweat was streaming down his left temple; he did not know why she was having this effect on him. He was supposed to be a Malfoy; he was supposed to be the one who made women vulnerable not the other way around.  
  
"I was wondering…" Hermione began, Draco looked up at her as she spoke. He was telling himself that this was not really the time to check her out. "If you still think I'm a filthy mudblood who is not worthy of a Malfoy's friendship."  
  
Draco looked taken aback, she took the words right out of his mouth… so, was she a mind reader now? I thought she hated Divination.  
  
Hermione seemed to have caught the look on his face and spoke again.  
  
"I guess not, sorry, I was stupid for asking," she said bowing her head down to her hands whose fingers were laced once again.  
  
A smirk caught Draco's lips, maybe it was time for him to speak.  
  
"Since when did Brainy Granger admit she was stupid?" he asked. Before Hemrione could reply, Draco continued what he was saying. " Granger, you took the words right out of my mouth, did you know that?" he said.  
  
Hermione looked at him surprised.  
  
"Yeah, you heard right. The self-centered me is accepting your friendship."  
  
It was Hemrione's turn to be speechless.  
  
"All tongue tied Granger," he said with a smirk. Draco inched over to a table beside him where there was a tray with a bottle of champagne and two goblets. He poured some in to both and stood to offer one to Hermione. She looked at him and they locked eyes as he handed the glass to her. When she finally accepted it. She beamed at him.  
  
"Since when did Draco Malfoy ever admit that he was self centered?"  
  
~~*  
  
A/N; My, my I really need to stop making Draco a softie… can't help it… so tell me what you think? And REVIEW!!! Anyway I'm doing a new story, its called Don't Say A Word… No, Its NOT a Horror Series but a twisted story about lovers in the Slytherin house. 


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